It has been a really interesting week for me – emotionally and physically. I have noted previously that as go my hips, so goes my mood. The week started strong but faded.
In fun news, I can now claim to be a sponsored Iron distance athlete. There is a new product that was developed from science done at the University of Saskatchewan called Genki Bar. Basically, it’s a slow burning energy bar which is lentil based. Imagine an Eat More bar with lentils instead of peanuts and you are pretty close. I am relieved to say that I genuinely like them. I have been experimenting for two years with stuff that I am willing to eat on LONG rides and runs – stuff that I am willing to eat when I do NOT want to eat ANYTHING. I am really glad to get a chance to use Genki – thanks to Bruce and Theresa for setting me up. They are available at Brainsport. It’s not exactly Tiger Woods money. Well, in fact, it’s no money at all but I am awaiting a Genki Bar visor. That’ll be cool.
Sunday and Monday, following the Chinook Half Iron race my hips felt as good as they have felt in a long time. No soreness at all. As the week has worn on, though, my legs in general – and hips in particular – have grown very tight, sore, and tired.
Wednesday night was the first “Brainsport Learn to Run Clinic” which I am coaching. Our inaugural run consisted of a five-minute warm up walk followed by eight repeats of 30-seconds running and two-minutes walking, followed by a five-minute cool down walk. One would think that such a minor run would be easy on me. Later Wednesday night I was awoken by the worst bout of hip pain that I have ever experienced. I woke up at 2 am with crushing pain in both hips. This happens every night but normally I simply reposition and immediately fall back asleep. Not so on Wednesday – I was awake for half an hour and nothing that I did helped the pain. I can’t see how this relates to the running clinic but anything seems possible. Rotation is the problem so maybe I need to watch changing direction move back and forth among the group of 35 new runners?
As of this writing I am on a plane to Ottawa and my legs do not feel good. My hips are sore, my IT bands feel tight, and even my knees feel a little bit off. I am hopeful that these six days in Ottawa will help my legs recover – I have three runs in Ottawa for a total of four hours. I must remind myself, though, that I have never been able to make any sense of my hip pain. It seems to come and go with no relation to my activity level.
I also note that I am fatigued. In preparing for Ironman I did a lot of reading and this came up frequently – Be ready to find yourself tired all the time. I think I’m there. This may be part of the problem with my legs. I’m just plain tired.
I am really excited about the Brainsport Learn to Run Clinic. Everyone likes sharing their passions with other and running has certainly become something of a passion for me this past two years. The part of being a coach that is really interesting to me, though, is how much I will learn. Over the years I have taught communications and poker (lots of poker). Being compelled to teach makes one compelled to learn. I find myself answering hard questions like, “Why do you run?” I am working on that and will have a more formal answer soon.
Here is my training schedule for this week:
Sunday – Run 2 hours with 10 x 30 second sprints.
Monday – Run 10 x 1 minute at 4:30 + 1 min at 5:15 and then run 30 minutes at 5:30/km. Also, if the hotel pool is at all adequate I will add a swim 30 continuous.
Tuesday – Hotel pool permitting, swim 30 continuous.
Wednesday – Run 3 x 10 minutes at 4:30 (with 10 min at 4:55/km in between).
Saturday – Back in Saskatoon – Ride 4 hours easy, run 90 minutes at 4:55/km.
Sunday – Lake swim 45 minutes continuous. Ride 60 easy.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Chinook Half Iron distance post-race thoughts
First I will offer general comments, then specific thoughts on each portion of the race, and then comment on my nutrition throughout the day. If you just want to skip to the video, it's at the very bottom.
My overall finish: 93/106.
Official Times
SWIM: 1:00:40 22/22 age group (I was the second to last swimmer out of the water – Mayor Pat Fiacco of Regina beat me out of the water by 2 seconds)
BIKE: 3:46:43 18/22 Age Group (chip time was 3:57:19 which means I was 10:36 in total transition time)
RUN: 2:19:13 13/22 Age Group
This is a small race with a field that is, I think, tougher than the races with larger fields. There are less casual athletes racing this distance at Chinook than larger racers. The race is EXTREMELY WELL organized. I was very, very impressed. In fact, in the lead up to the race I think that Race Director Mike Bock never took longer than 30 minutes to reply to any email I sent. Thanks Mike! You're awesome. My only niggling complaint is that the explanation of the race the night before was too long and included too much detail (particularly from the Run Coordinator). For experience triathletes it was old hat and for newbies it would have been WAY too much. A simple explanation that includes "The course is well marked" would have been adequate.
If my swim time had been 50 minutes (which should be well within my ability) then my overall finish would have been 86/106 which is more in keeping with where I think I am at compared to typical Iron distance endurance athletes.
SWIM
I was very disappointed in my swim. I am to a point where my swim mechanics are good (at least relative to where I was). But I refused to swim continuously for more than 200 meters at a time. When I ask myself, “why?” I don’t really have an answer. I guess I find open water swimming to be problematic. I tried a couple of times to kick onto my back and do a little backstroke. This was impossible as it immediately resulted in a feeling of motion sickness. I never felt worried about safety or anything like that. I just felt modest disorientation. I will consult with coach Paul but I think I better ad a longish open water swim every weekend for the next several weeks. I need to be more capable of open water swimming. I am thinking that a short break of 20 second will be fine every 500 meters or so. This will mean 7 breaks over 4 km as opposed to 20 breaks over 2 km which is probably what I did in this race. Oof.
BIKE
I felt really good about my bike. I rode the 93 km with an average heart rate of close to 150 beats/minute at 80 to 90 rpm. This was my goal. It is a very hilly course. I wound up with a 6 minute break at the turnaround. I did not want to break this long. I was just stopping to use the port-a-potty but Regina Mayor Pat Fiacco beat me too it and he, well, he took a long time. My average moving speed was 25.8 km/h which was slower than I expected and slower than I would like to ride at Ironman.
I note that at the beginning of the ride I was getting a fairly sharp pain on the outside of my left quad. I wrote it off to the affects of the cold water and carried on and it passed. I stretched my calves frequently throughout (on just about ever downhill) – I think this had benefits later in the day. And, near the end of the bike my right hamstring was complaining but I never noticed this on the run.
I am guessing but I think two laps of this course would, in fact, be tougher than Ironman’s bike course. Here are the elevation comparisons.
Chinook and Ironman Canada elevations.
By way of comparison, the total climb at Chinook is 327 meters or 1073 feet. Don’t be deceived by the different scales represented. The total vertical at Ironman looks to be about 1500 feet. More but not THAT much more. The struggle I had at Chinook is that there is very little in the way of extended flat portions. It’s pretty well rollers the whole way with a couple of a particularly arduous climbs. I have never ridden Ironman before so this is speculation on my part. Basically it comes down to talking to people who have done Ironman. They seem able to get a pretty reasonable guess as to their overall speed compared to the usual speed riding on the flat. I came up 3 km/h slower than I expected to. This surprised me.
RUN
I was happy with my run. I ran the first lap stopping only at water stations. Just a nice easy pace. On a positive note, at the beginning of the run both of my calves were a little painful. I soldiered on and this feeling passed. In fact, I was kind of happy to realize at some point that I was feeling completely healthy – nothing hurt, it was easy to run at about 6:15/kilometer.
In the second lap I did drop into my old habit of taking 40 pace walking breaks. Did I have to? No. Did I? Yes. Am I weak? Yes. I am wondering if I should not plan, in advance, for Ironman as a walk run – run 4 minutes, walk 1? This might break it up for me keep my pace high instead of starting out with a straight run and then feeling, later, like I was failing myself?
Nutrition
Breakfast – 6:15 AM
Peanut butter and jam on Wonderbread.
One cup of Starbuck with cream and sugar.
Pre-race – 7:30 AM
300 ml Gatorade
1 gel.
Swim to bike transition – 9:00 AM
300 ml Gatorade
1 gel.
Bike (from 9 AM to 1 PM)
I drank 2.4 liters of Gatorde evenly throughout.
I had 5 energy gels spaced out 40 minutes apart.
Very near the end of the bike I noticed that I was hungry. I had a Hammer energy bar that the turnaround staff had slipped into my bike bag.
Bike to run transition (1 PM)
300 ml Gatorade
1 energy gel
Applied Nip Guards (not nutrition per say, but necessary or feeling good).
Run (1 PM to 3 PM)
At he 2.2 km mark – 100 ml Gatorade
(at every aide station I doused myself with cold water – NICE)
At the 5.5 km mark – 100 ml Gatorade
At the 7.5 km mark – 100 ml Gaorade and 1 energy gel.
At the 10.5 km mark – My stomach was not too happy. I felt bloated and a little tiny bit like I might throw up. I felt fine nutritionally so I switched to straight water.
At the 12.7 km mark – 150 ml water
At the 16 km mark – 150 ml water
At the 18 km mark – 150 ml water
OK… now I have to go for a bike ride and a run (I think I will try run 4 + walk 1 to see what sort of pace that creates).
My overall finish: 93/106.
Official Times
SWIM: 1:00:40 22/22 age group (I was the second to last swimmer out of the water – Mayor Pat Fiacco of Regina beat me out of the water by 2 seconds)
BIKE: 3:46:43 18/22 Age Group (chip time was 3:57:19 which means I was 10:36 in total transition time)
RUN: 2:19:13 13/22 Age Group
This is a small race with a field that is, I think, tougher than the races with larger fields. There are less casual athletes racing this distance at Chinook than larger racers. The race is EXTREMELY WELL organized. I was very, very impressed. In fact, in the lead up to the race I think that Race Director Mike Bock never took longer than 30 minutes to reply to any email I sent. Thanks Mike! You're awesome. My only niggling complaint is that the explanation of the race the night before was too long and included too much detail (particularly from the Run Coordinator). For experience triathletes it was old hat and for newbies it would have been WAY too much. A simple explanation that includes "The course is well marked" would have been adequate.
If my swim time had been 50 minutes (which should be well within my ability) then my overall finish would have been 86/106 which is more in keeping with where I think I am at compared to typical Iron distance endurance athletes.
SWIM
I was very disappointed in my swim. I am to a point where my swim mechanics are good (at least relative to where I was). But I refused to swim continuously for more than 200 meters at a time. When I ask myself, “why?” I don’t really have an answer. I guess I find open water swimming to be problematic. I tried a couple of times to kick onto my back and do a little backstroke. This was impossible as it immediately resulted in a feeling of motion sickness. I never felt worried about safety or anything like that. I just felt modest disorientation. I will consult with coach Paul but I think I better ad a longish open water swim every weekend for the next several weeks. I need to be more capable of open water swimming. I am thinking that a short break of 20 second will be fine every 500 meters or so. This will mean 7 breaks over 4 km as opposed to 20 breaks over 2 km which is probably what I did in this race. Oof.
BIKE
I felt really good about my bike. I rode the 93 km with an average heart rate of close to 150 beats/minute at 80 to 90 rpm. This was my goal. It is a very hilly course. I wound up with a 6 minute break at the turnaround. I did not want to break this long. I was just stopping to use the port-a-potty but Regina Mayor Pat Fiacco beat me too it and he, well, he took a long time. My average moving speed was 25.8 km/h which was slower than I expected and slower than I would like to ride at Ironman.
I note that at the beginning of the ride I was getting a fairly sharp pain on the outside of my left quad. I wrote it off to the affects of the cold water and carried on and it passed. I stretched my calves frequently throughout (on just about ever downhill) – I think this had benefits later in the day. And, near the end of the bike my right hamstring was complaining but I never noticed this on the run.
I am guessing but I think two laps of this course would, in fact, be tougher than Ironman’s bike course. Here are the elevation comparisons.
Chinook and Ironman Canada elevations.
RUN
I was happy with my run. I ran the first lap stopping only at water stations. Just a nice easy pace. On a positive note, at the beginning of the run both of my calves were a little painful. I soldiered on and this feeling passed. In fact, I was kind of happy to realize at some point that I was feeling completely healthy – nothing hurt, it was easy to run at about 6:15/kilometer.
In the second lap I did drop into my old habit of taking 40 pace walking breaks. Did I have to? No. Did I? Yes. Am I weak? Yes. I am wondering if I should not plan, in advance, for Ironman as a walk run – run 4 minutes, walk 1? This might break it up for me keep my pace high instead of starting out with a straight run and then feeling, later, like I was failing myself?
Nutrition
Breakfast – 6:15 AM
Peanut butter and jam on Wonderbread.
One cup of Starbuck with cream and sugar.
Pre-race – 7:30 AM
300 ml Gatorade
1 gel.
Swim to bike transition – 9:00 AM
300 ml Gatorade
1 gel.
Bike (from 9 AM to 1 PM)
I drank 2.4 liters of Gatorde evenly throughout.
I had 5 energy gels spaced out 40 minutes apart.
Very near the end of the bike I noticed that I was hungry. I had a Hammer energy bar that the turnaround staff had slipped into my bike bag.
Bike to run transition (1 PM)
300 ml Gatorade
1 energy gel
Applied Nip Guards (not nutrition per say, but necessary or feeling good).
Run (1 PM to 3 PM)
At he 2.2 km mark – 100 ml Gatorade
(at every aide station I doused myself with cold water – NICE)
At the 5.5 km mark – 100 ml Gatorade
At the 7.5 km mark – 100 ml Gaorade and 1 energy gel.
At the 10.5 km mark – My stomach was not too happy. I felt bloated and a little tiny bit like I might throw up. I felt fine nutritionally so I switched to straight water.
At the 12.7 km mark – 150 ml water
At the 16 km mark – 150 ml water
At the 18 km mark – 150 ml water
OK… now I have to go for a bike ride and a run (I think I will try run 4 + walk 1 to see what sort of pace that creates).
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Week in review + Three family Bridge City Boogie pre-race meal
Since my failing at the Sask Marathon a couple of weeks ago I have bounced back nicely. Last weekend I enjoyed Moe’s Triathlon. This week I put in some good time and mileage and finished the week strong.
The most exciting part of the week was sharing a race this morning with my whole family!
I did 10 km, Arthur 5 km, Heather and Oliver 2 km.
Weekly totals:
Swim 3:15
Bike 7:00
Run 2:30
Strength 1:00
Total 13:45
The week finished with a long session on Saturday that was stronger than I expected. Saturday night I had too much to eat – all the wrong stuff, bacon, scallops, shrimp, prime rib, chocolate, wine, wine, and wine – but got up on Sunday and ran a personal best 10 km run. 47:15. I ran without looking at my pace one. If you had asked me upon finishing about my time I would have guessed 47:30 as that is what it felt like – pushing to stay faster than my marathon race pace of 4:55/km but not so fast that I wasn’t all but certain that I could maintain. Pre-race I hoped that I could maintain 4:45 and I did.
One bad note from this week -- I appear to have developed a limp. I am not even aware that I am doing it until it is pointed out. I will watch this in the coming days to see if it's an on again off again thing.
Otherwise a good week. My confidence is much restored. I very much look forward to the Chinook Half-Ironman this coming weekend as I am a little bit fitter and a lot smarter than I was a year ago. Like always, I have no particular goal but I am curious to see what I manage. I predict I will be under six hours.
In order of appearance in the video that follows:
Ralph – 10 km 53:42
Raj – 5 km 21:32
Sehjal – 5 km 29:29
Marsha – 2 km 15:11
Heather – 2 km 12:42
Thomas – 2 km 15:10
Arthur – 5 km 28:37
Emily – 2 km 14:13
Oliver – 2 km 12:05
Me – 10 km 47:15
The most exciting part of the week was sharing a race this morning with my whole family!
I did 10 km, Arthur 5 km, Heather and Oliver 2 km.
Weekly totals:
Swim 3:15
Bike 7:00
Run 2:30
Strength 1:00
Total 13:45
The week finished with a long session on Saturday that was stronger than I expected. Saturday night I had too much to eat – all the wrong stuff, bacon, scallops, shrimp, prime rib, chocolate, wine, wine, and wine – but got up on Sunday and ran a personal best 10 km run. 47:15. I ran without looking at my pace one. If you had asked me upon finishing about my time I would have guessed 47:30 as that is what it felt like – pushing to stay faster than my marathon race pace of 4:55/km but not so fast that I wasn’t all but certain that I could maintain. Pre-race I hoped that I could maintain 4:45 and I did.
One bad note from this week -- I appear to have developed a limp. I am not even aware that I am doing it until it is pointed out. I will watch this in the coming days to see if it's an on again off again thing.
Otherwise a good week. My confidence is much restored. I very much look forward to the Chinook Half-Ironman this coming weekend as I am a little bit fitter and a lot smarter than I was a year ago. Like always, I have no particular goal but I am curious to see what I manage. I predict I will be under six hours.
In order of appearance in the video that follows:
Ralph – 10 km 53:42
Raj – 5 km 21:32
Sehjal – 5 km 29:29
Marsha – 2 km 15:11
Heather – 2 km 12:42
Thomas – 2 km 15:10
Arthur – 5 km 28:37
Emily – 2 km 14:13
Oliver – 2 km 12:05
Me – 10 km 47:15
Saturday, June 12, 2010
June 10 - 37 km ride, 30 minute swim, 37 km ride, 11 km run, and FOUR STITCHES
The funniest moment was after the injury which you are about to see, nine of us are gathered around Brina as she contemplated what to do. She decides to phone her fiance to come and pick her up. Lindsay dials and hands the phone to Brina.
Brina: "Hi. I fell off my bike."
(pause as other party speaks)
Brina: "No. I fell of my bike and landed on my face and I'm bleeding."
(pause)
Brina: "Who is this?"
(short pause)
Brina: "I'm sorry I have the wrong number."
Brina: "Hi. I fell off my bike."
(pause as other party speaks)
Brina: "No. I fell of my bike and landed on my face and I'm bleeding."
(pause)
Brina: "Who is this?"
(short pause)
Brina: "I'm sorry I have the wrong number."
Friday, June 11, 2010
Is riding into the wind like riding up a hill?
Random thoughts from the past couple of days…
I’m back. After the Saskatchewan Marathon on May 30th I took a week off – couple of light workouts only. Coach Bruce assigned me lots for this week and next week and I’m not only getting through the week but I am looking forward to it. Tomorrow’s training session will probably be a little over five hours and I am keen to get out there. I am enjoying the training. This is good because at the beginning of the week I wasn't feeling it.
This may relate to kid’s activities winding down. Last night Oliver wrapped up Mini-Lasers swimming for the summer. This frees my time for two nights a week which is good as some weeks feel like work, train, transport children, and sleep. Having some down time will help keep my spirits up and when school is over in a couple of weeks this will free up lots of time making it easier to find time for training without the sense that I am getting NOTHING else done. I am, in fact, getting nothing else done as Heather will tell you. Ironman training certainly does require some sacrifice on the part
Raincoats are warm. I have a rain jacket for cycling. I ran last night wearing an Under Armour sleeveless t-shirt, light long sleeve shirt, and rain jacket. Phew. Was too warm. Despite the fact that it claims to be breathable, oy, it’ s barely breathable. Too warm. This is the most difficult weather to dress for – from 0 to 10 degrees with light rain. I can never stay cool enough.
Best sight on the trail … crazy university prof riding his bike with a huge pauncho to keep off the rain. It was blowing in the wind like Superman’s cape. The best part, though, was that he was wearing a ¾ motorcycle helmet instead of a cycling helmet. I wonder if he ramps up to the motorcycle helmet on rain soaked days because of the increased chance of injury or if he always wear old faithful?
I might not suck at cycling as bad as I think I do. This week I did my first ever interval. I was surprised to see what speed I was able to maintain with a modest but not ridiculous increase in effort. It’s hard to get my heart rate to 150/minute and, in calm flat conditions, I am guessing that 31 km/h is about my speed. This makes me feel good about the possibility of cycling between 6 and 6:30 at Ironman.
And, my ride on Tuesday was both the best and freakin’ worst ride EVER. The first 17 km was pleasant. The second 17 km was a screaming, riot of fun – wind at my back going between 35 and 45 with an occasional downhill bumping my speed to just over 50 km/h. Then the last 20 km with like cycling in a wind tunnel. My speed dropped off to below 20 km/h. I felt like I was part of some elaborate experiment measuring whether a man will keep pedaling or will simply lie down in the ditch and beg for merciful death. Well screw you weather, I made it home. Barely. Just barely. As my trainer Lindsay points out, “Saskatchewan wind is good preparation for BC mountains.” It was like climbing a hill for an hour straight.
I’m back. After the Saskatchewan Marathon on May 30th I took a week off – couple of light workouts only. Coach Bruce assigned me lots for this week and next week and I’m not only getting through the week but I am looking forward to it. Tomorrow’s training session will probably be a little over five hours and I am keen to get out there. I am enjoying the training. This is good because at the beginning of the week I wasn't feeling it.
This may relate to kid’s activities winding down. Last night Oliver wrapped up Mini-Lasers swimming for the summer. This frees my time for two nights a week which is good as some weeks feel like work, train, transport children, and sleep. Having some down time will help keep my spirits up and when school is over in a couple of weeks this will free up lots of time making it easier to find time for training without the sense that I am getting NOTHING else done. I am, in fact, getting nothing else done as Heather will tell you. Ironman training certainly does require some sacrifice on the part
Raincoats are warm. I have a rain jacket for cycling. I ran last night wearing an Under Armour sleeveless t-shirt, light long sleeve shirt, and rain jacket. Phew. Was too warm. Despite the fact that it claims to be breathable, oy, it’ s barely breathable. Too warm. This is the most difficult weather to dress for – from 0 to 10 degrees with light rain. I can never stay cool enough.
Best sight on the trail … crazy university prof riding his bike with a huge pauncho to keep off the rain. It was blowing in the wind like Superman’s cape. The best part, though, was that he was wearing a ¾ motorcycle helmet instead of a cycling helmet. I wonder if he ramps up to the motorcycle helmet on rain soaked days because of the increased chance of injury or if he always wear old faithful?
I might not suck at cycling as bad as I think I do. This week I did my first ever interval. I was surprised to see what speed I was able to maintain with a modest but not ridiculous increase in effort. It’s hard to get my heart rate to 150/minute and, in calm flat conditions, I am guessing that 31 km/h is about my speed. This makes me feel good about the possibility of cycling between 6 and 6:30 at Ironman.
And, my ride on Tuesday was both the best and freakin’ worst ride EVER. The first 17 km was pleasant. The second 17 km was a screaming, riot of fun – wind at my back going between 35 and 45 with an occasional downhill bumping my speed to just over 50 km/h. Then the last 20 km with like cycling in a wind tunnel. My speed dropped off to below 20 km/h. I felt like I was part of some elaborate experiment measuring whether a man will keep pedaling or will simply lie down in the ditch and beg for merciful death. Well screw you weather, I made it home. Barely. Just barely. As my trainer Lindsay points out, “Saskatchewan wind is good preparation for BC mountains.” It was like climbing a hill for an hour straight.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Hi ho, hi ho... Back to the grind
After a week of rest, time to get back at it. Ironman is now 12 weeks away.
I have recently resolved – and I mean it – to have NO time goal for Ironman. I don’t. Whatever happens on Aug 29 my job is to race the race, enjoy the day as best I can, and finish when I do. This does not mean, however, that I do not have training goals. I am going to train as if my time goal was 12 hours (even though it’s not). And I need to keep a high level of intensity because I do have a time goal on Oct 10 – 3:30 marathon in Victoria.
With that in mind, here is Coach Bruce’s plan for this coming two weeks. I will be meeting Bruce in one week from now so the second week is malleable depending on how this week goes.
MON (June 7) – Afternoon 60 minute strength, evening 60 minute swim
TUE – Afternoon 2 hour ride easy, 30 minute run at 4:30/km
WED – Afternoon ride 60 to 90 minutes with 2 x 15 minutes at 160 beats/minute, evening 90 minute swim
THU – Afternoon 60 minute run easy, afternoon 60 minute swim with Coach Paul
FRI – DAY OF REST
SAT – Morning 40 km ride easy + 30 minute swim easy + 40 km ride at race pace + 30 minute run at race pace + 30 minute run easy.
SUN – 10 km race (Bridge City Boogie), 60 minute ride easy
TOTAL FOR WEEK: 15 hours
MON (June 14) – afternoon 60 minute strength training, evening 60 minute swim
TUE – Afternoon 2 hour ride (5 x 8 min at 165/min with 3 min set break), 60 minute run easy
WED – Afternoon 60 minute ride easy, evening 90 minute swim
THU – Afternoon 40 minute run (5 x 3 min at 4:55/km with 2 min set break), 60 minute swim with Coach Paul
FRI – DAY OF REST (Drive to Calgary)
SAT – Chinook Half-Ironman in Calgary (Bike hard, run c. 5:15 to 5:30/km)
SUN – Afternoon 60 minute ride easy, 30 minute run easy
TOTAL FOR WEEK: 16 hours 40 minutes
Additional notes – At the Bridge City Boogie on June 13 I will wear my Garmin but I will not look at pace. I will simply push through the run and see what my finishing pace is. Similarly at the Chinook Half Ironman on June 19 I will wear my Garmin for the run but I will not look at pace. I will simply run the pace that I am capable of without focusing on what I am actually doing. I like this idea. For the 3:30 marathon in October I will want to know that I am running at pace and I will need the reassurance that the Garmin provides. Running these next two races hard, but without a specific goal, will help to keep me in the moment. I look forward to the surprise of seeing how what my pace is upon completion.
I have recently resolved – and I mean it – to have NO time goal for Ironman. I don’t. Whatever happens on Aug 29 my job is to race the race, enjoy the day as best I can, and finish when I do. This does not mean, however, that I do not have training goals. I am going to train as if my time goal was 12 hours (even though it’s not). And I need to keep a high level of intensity because I do have a time goal on Oct 10 – 3:30 marathon in Victoria.
With that in mind, here is Coach Bruce’s plan for this coming two weeks. I will be meeting Bruce in one week from now so the second week is malleable depending on how this week goes.
MON (June 7) – Afternoon 60 minute strength, evening 60 minute swim
TUE – Afternoon 2 hour ride easy, 30 minute run at 4:30/km
WED – Afternoon ride 60 to 90 minutes with 2 x 15 minutes at 160 beats/minute, evening 90 minute swim
THU – Afternoon 60 minute run easy, afternoon 60 minute swim with Coach Paul
FRI – DAY OF REST
SAT – Morning 40 km ride easy + 30 minute swim easy + 40 km ride at race pace + 30 minute run at race pace + 30 minute run easy.
SUN – 10 km race (Bridge City Boogie), 60 minute ride easy
TOTAL FOR WEEK: 15 hours
MON (June 14) – afternoon 60 minute strength training, evening 60 minute swim
TUE – Afternoon 2 hour ride (5 x 8 min at 165/min with 3 min set break), 60 minute run easy
WED – Afternoon 60 minute ride easy, evening 90 minute swim
THU – Afternoon 40 minute run (5 x 3 min at 4:55/km with 2 min set break), 60 minute swim with Coach Paul
FRI – DAY OF REST (Drive to Calgary)
SAT – Chinook Half-Ironman in Calgary (Bike hard, run c. 5:15 to 5:30/km)
SUN – Afternoon 60 minute ride easy, 30 minute run easy
TOTAL FOR WEEK: 16 hours 40 minutes
Additional notes – At the Bridge City Boogie on June 13 I will wear my Garmin but I will not look at pace. I will simply push through the run and see what my finishing pace is. Similarly at the Chinook Half Ironman on June 19 I will wear my Garmin for the run but I will not look at pace. I will simply run the pace that I am capable of without focusing on what I am actually doing. I like this idea. For the 3:30 marathon in October I will want to know that I am running at pace and I will need the reassurance that the Garmin provides. Running these next two races hard, but without a specific goal, will help to keep me in the moment. I look forward to the surprise of seeing how what my pace is upon completion.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Moe's Triathlon Race Report
From Moe's Triathlon today.
After the disaster of last weekend's marathon it's nice to race (even a really short one) and feel good about everything.
New course this year and I like it. The run as three laps instead of two made it feel shorter, even though I think it was longer.
Swim (500 meters):
I predicted my swim time to be 11:00. My actual time was a little longer than that but it didn’t have to be (I was probably slightly over 12). There were 4 of us per lane. I was the second starter in my lane. The first starter in my lane was the slowest of the 4 of us. I tried to draft him the whole way – as an experiment/learning experience. What did I learn? Successful drafting requires that you fid someone who swims at very close to one's desired swim pace. At Chinook in two weeks I will attempt the drafting experiment again. I wound up waiting at the wall for a pregnant pause to open some space and then catch up ½ way across the pool at which point I would slow down to draft him. Repeat this procedure over and over until the swim was finished. A poor strategy but that's fine, I was there to learn. I did not hate the swim. And, 11:00/500 meters is probably a good predictor of my swim pace this summer. Last year’s time was 14:01 so I was much faster this year. Two year’s ago I was around 12 minutes so I am sure that I am faster than that, too (even though my official time will not show it).
Bike (12 km):
My original plan was to ride at heart rate of 150/minute, again, as a simple experiment. But, I did not have my watch set up to show heart rate so that plan went out the window. Instead I decided that since the distance is so short I would just go pretty hard… 80%? I averaged 28.3 km/hour at a heart rate of 161/minute. This seems too slow for that effort but this may be a results of too many tight corners that slowed the speed too much too often? Plus this average speed includes time in transition so it is artificially lowered. Overall I was very happy with my ride. Last year’s time 23:34 which was an average speed of 2:21/km. This year was 2:07/km so faster (all of these times include the transitions).
Run (5 km):
I wanted to ensure that I ran at least 4:55/km and was thinking I would try to run 4:45/km. I managed 4:45 with substantial but not killer effort. I feel really good about this run. It was short, to be sure, but it was useful to simply focus on “being in the moment” and keeping the legs pumping. I am very happy with the run. Last year’s time was 23:01. This year was 24:42. I am surprised by this and feel certain that this year must have been slightly further as I am very happy with this year’s run and was not that happy last year. Last year I walked a couple of times and Raj actually waited for me. This year I think I was slowly – very slowly closing on Raj although I am not certain and will have to wait for the official time to find out. It's possible that the reverse is true and that he was slowly opening the distance between us.
***Update***
1:05:45 my official time.
41/94 overall
10/17 Men 40-49
86th fastest swim
50th fastest bike
29th fastest run
Raj beat me by 0:59 in the swim, 0:35 on the bike, and 0:04 on the run.
I really thought I was slightly closing on the run… nope.
After the disaster of last weekend's marathon it's nice to race (even a really short one) and feel good about everything.
New course this year and I like it. The run as three laps instead of two made it feel shorter, even though I think it was longer.
Swim (500 meters):
I predicted my swim time to be 11:00. My actual time was a little longer than that but it didn’t have to be (I was probably slightly over 12). There were 4 of us per lane. I was the second starter in my lane. The first starter in my lane was the slowest of the 4 of us. I tried to draft him the whole way – as an experiment/learning experience. What did I learn? Successful drafting requires that you fid someone who swims at very close to one's desired swim pace. At Chinook in two weeks I will attempt the drafting experiment again. I wound up waiting at the wall for a pregnant pause to open some space and then catch up ½ way across the pool at which point I would slow down to draft him. Repeat this procedure over and over until the swim was finished. A poor strategy but that's fine, I was there to learn. I did not hate the swim. And, 11:00/500 meters is probably a good predictor of my swim pace this summer. Last year’s time was 14:01 so I was much faster this year. Two year’s ago I was around 12 minutes so I am sure that I am faster than that, too (even though my official time will not show it).
Bike (12 km):
My original plan was to ride at heart rate of 150/minute, again, as a simple experiment. But, I did not have my watch set up to show heart rate so that plan went out the window. Instead I decided that since the distance is so short I would just go pretty hard… 80%? I averaged 28.3 km/hour at a heart rate of 161/minute. This seems too slow for that effort but this may be a results of too many tight corners that slowed the speed too much too often? Plus this average speed includes time in transition so it is artificially lowered. Overall I was very happy with my ride. Last year’s time 23:34 which was an average speed of 2:21/km. This year was 2:07/km so faster (all of these times include the transitions).
Run (5 km):
I wanted to ensure that I ran at least 4:55/km and was thinking I would try to run 4:45/km. I managed 4:45 with substantial but not killer effort. I feel really good about this run. It was short, to be sure, but it was useful to simply focus on “being in the moment” and keeping the legs pumping. I am very happy with the run. Last year’s time was 23:01. This year was 24:42. I am surprised by this and feel certain that this year must have been slightly further as I am very happy with this year’s run and was not that happy last year. Last year I walked a couple of times and Raj actually waited for me. This year I think I was slowly – very slowly closing on Raj although I am not certain and will have to wait for the official time to find out. It's possible that the reverse is true and that he was slowly opening the distance between us.
***Update***
1:05:45 my official time.
41/94 overall
10/17 Men 40-49
86th fastest swim
50th fastest bike
29th fastest run
Raj beat me by 0:59 in the swim, 0:35 on the bike, and 0:04 on the run.
I really thought I was slightly closing on the run… nope.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
I will NEVER run another marathon (well... maybe I will)
On Sunday, at the 32 km mark, I was thinking to myself, “I am a stupid ass. These marathons are stupid. The Boston Marathon is probably extra stupid. It’s the stupidest marathon of them all and I didn’t really want to do it anyway. Ironman was an idiot of an idea. I suppose I will have to do Ironman just so I don’t have to embarrass myself by quitting. Wait! I know. I can bob around in the lake for two hours and miss the swim cutoff and then I will not have to do the bike and run. Brilliant! Dog it for Ironman and then NEVER DO ANOTHER MARATHON AGAIN.”
On Monday night I registered for the Victoria Marathon on October 10, 2010.
I have a REALLY short memory. Uffda.
I have shifted my focus, though. I have revised my thinking about Ironman. On Sunday at the post-marathon tears and beers I realized something: I have not enjoyed a race in two years.
This has to change.
I do NOT want to set an aggressive goal for Ironman, miss it, and then be unhappy with my Ironman race. I am next to certain that I only have one Ironman in me. I am doing Ironman for the motivation and challenge it provides. (and to get the tattoo and boast about it for the rest of my life). I do NOT want to finish the race on Aug 29 and be angry or disappointed because I didn’t make my goal time. So, it’s official – I HAVE NO TIME GOAL AT IRONMAN. My time is now irrelevant to me.
Here is my goal: I want to feel like I am racing (even though I am not). I do not want to walk the marathon. I want to swim strong and easy, bike strong and easy, and run the marathon (some walk/run will be fine). A specific time is now irrelevant to me. I will be proud of finishing. I do not want any part of this experience to be a disappointment. I want to do my best to enjoy the day.
I guess my time will be between 12 and 14 hours. My specific prediction is SWIM 1:35, BIKE 6:45, RUN 4:45. I dream of being sub-12 hours and I think it’s possible. But, if I come across at 11:59 pm after 16 hours and 59 minutes, I will be thrilled.
So, why register for the Victoria Marathon? I figure that the strongest, fittest moment of my life will be 6:59 am, August 29, 2010 – in the moments before the starting cannon at Ironman Canada. I do want to run the Boston Marathon. If I wait for the Vegas Marathon (Dec 5) then I will probably not get in to the Boston Marathon for 2011 since this year it sold out in November. I do not want to extend that these goals into 2012. I don’t think my hips will last that long.
So… I will be running the Victoria Marathon on October 10th. I am registered. Once qualified for Boston I will stop all training and try to set the Boston course record for “Fastest Man over 300 pounds with arthritic hips.”
I will still be going to Las Vegas to support my friends who will be running. I will probably even run in Las Vegas. Or, I may simply be annoying drunken pizza guy trying to find someone to share martinis and pizza at 4:30 am just 2 ½ hours before race start.
On Monday night I registered for the Victoria Marathon on October 10, 2010.
I have a REALLY short memory. Uffda.
I have shifted my focus, though. I have revised my thinking about Ironman. On Sunday at the post-marathon tears and beers I realized something: I have not enjoyed a race in two years.
This has to change.
I do NOT want to set an aggressive goal for Ironman, miss it, and then be unhappy with my Ironman race. I am next to certain that I only have one Ironman in me. I am doing Ironman for the motivation and challenge it provides. (and to get the tattoo and boast about it for the rest of my life). I do NOT want to finish the race on Aug 29 and be angry or disappointed because I didn’t make my goal time. So, it’s official – I HAVE NO TIME GOAL AT IRONMAN. My time is now irrelevant to me.
Here is my goal: I want to feel like I am racing (even though I am not). I do not want to walk the marathon. I want to swim strong and easy, bike strong and easy, and run the marathon (some walk/run will be fine). A specific time is now irrelevant to me. I will be proud of finishing. I do not want any part of this experience to be a disappointment. I want to do my best to enjoy the day.
I guess my time will be between 12 and 14 hours. My specific prediction is SWIM 1:35, BIKE 6:45, RUN 4:45. I dream of being sub-12 hours and I think it’s possible. But, if I come across at 11:59 pm after 16 hours and 59 minutes, I will be thrilled.
So, why register for the Victoria Marathon? I figure that the strongest, fittest moment of my life will be 6:59 am, August 29, 2010 – in the moments before the starting cannon at Ironman Canada. I do want to run the Boston Marathon. If I wait for the Vegas Marathon (Dec 5) then I will probably not get in to the Boston Marathon for 2011 since this year it sold out in November. I do not want to extend that these goals into 2012. I don’t think my hips will last that long.
So… I will be running the Victoria Marathon on October 10th. I am registered. Once qualified for Boston I will stop all training and try to set the Boston course record for “Fastest Man over 300 pounds with arthritic hips.”
I will still be going to Las Vegas to support my friends who will be running. I will probably even run in Las Vegas. Or, I may simply be annoying drunken pizza guy trying to find someone to share martinis and pizza at 4:30 am just 2 ½ hours before race start.
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